1). Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and a program used for displaying information on a display area of a screen of an electronic device.
2). Discussion of Related Art
Computer monitors are used for the display of information or xe2x80x9ccontentxe2x80x9d in a window-type graphical user interface (GUI). The content can take the form of text, graphics, images, etc., examples of which are document files, file folder/directory lists, internet web pages (including those displayed within frames), spreadsheets, databases, digital photographs, drawings, pull-down menu lists, etc. Frequently the window is not large enough to display the entire contents of the file, folder, etc. In such cases, the user can view the additional xe2x80x9coff-screenxe2x80x9d information by using a mouse-controlled cursor to select and move (by dragging) a slider bar, clicking on up or down arrows to scroll one xe2x80x9clinexe2x80x9d (the amount of the xe2x80x9clinexe2x80x9d movement varies in different products and instances, but is always an amount less than one xe2x80x9cpagexe2x80x9d) at a time, or by clicking the mouse with the cursor positioned in the scroll bar but not on the slider bar (which moves the file or folder content up or down one xe2x80x9cpagexe2x80x9d or window at a time).
The page up or page down operations (referred to herein as paging operations) can also be implemented by pressing the page up or page down keys on the keyboard. Paging and scrolling operations can be implemented horizontally as well as vertically. Paging and scrolling operations are also used to display information other than in a window-type GUI, such as on a handheld computer such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), in television display of information such as an electronic program guide or internet web pages, on internet appliances, and on a mobile telephone. Other means are also available or can be envisioned which accomplish the same result of moving previously off-screen content into the view of the window.
When there is less than one full window of information remaining, a page down operation moves the document or folder information up just enough to align the last line of information in the file/folder with the bottom of the window. A problem is that the user does not know where to continue reading or looking for information after the page up operation is completed.
Even when more than a full window of content remains xe2x80x9coff-screenxe2x80x9d, the page up operation does not move the content up the complete distance of the window""s height. However, computer program applications (Microsoft Word and Microsoft Internet Explorer, for example) vary substantially in the amount of window content that is reproduced in the window following the paging operation. It is difficult for users to adapt to the differing amounts of content replicated in various application programs, since they don""t know how far from the top edge of the window to expect to find the content continuation.
A method is provided for displaying information on a display area of a screen of an electronic device. An initial page of information is displayed on the display area. A signal is transmitted from a user interface device operated by a user. A subsequent page of information is displayed on the display area in response to the signal, including a previously displayed plurality of lines on a previous page, but moved away from an edge of the display area, and a newly displayed plurality of lines between the previously displayed plurality of lines and the edge. Automatically upon display of the subsequent page, a visual cue is displayed on the display area between the previously displayed plurality of lines and the newly displayed plurality of lines in a manner to enable a user to distinguish the newly displayed plurality of lines from the previously displayed plurality of lines.